Apparatus for operating alarms or other devices.



G. I. 'ROCKWO0D. APPARATUS ron OPERATING ALARMs on OTHER DEVICES. APPLICATION FILED APB..17, 1907. 970,953, Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

To all whom, it may concern:

lUNITED STATES PATENTy OFFICE.

GEORG-E I.l ROCKWOOD, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ALARMS OR OTHER DEVICES.

. Be it known that I, GEORGE I. Rocxwoon, a citizen of the United States, residing at VOrCeSter, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Im rovement in an Apparatus for Operatin larms or other Devices, of which the fol owing is a specification, accompanied b drawings forming a part ofthe same, in w ich Figure lis a central vertical sectional view'of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is Ia sectional view of the receiving chamber on line 2'--2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion ofthe receiving chamber on line 3-3, Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 represents one form of an alarm device adapted to be actuated by a flow of liquid.

Similar reference letters and' figures refer to similar parts in the different views.

`My invention relates to alarms to be used in connection with fire sprinkler systems, or other devices`where the alarm is to be operated by the passage of liquid under pressure through a pipe, and is designed to provide for the nonfsounding of the alarm by the intermittent variations of pressure of liquid in the pipe, and at the same time to insure the immediate `alarm upon the continuous passage of liquid through the pipe, and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described and pointed out in the annexed claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings 1 denotes a chamber having an inlet 2 com-- municatingwith a water supply under pres' sure and an outlet 3 communicating with a sprinkler system. Normally the outlet to municates, in the the chamber 1 is closed, and the liquid under pressure is confined within the chamber, but the device lis designed to sound an alarm whenever the outlet is opened by the release of an automatic sprinkler. A check valve 4 is placed in the chamber 1 resting upon a valve seat 5 and designed to be o ened b variations in the pressure of liqui on eac side thereof in the manner common to check valves of this class.

l The face of the valve seat 5 is provlded with an annular oove 6, communicating with a ipe 7 leading to a receiving chamber 8, om the top of which a p1pe compresent instance with anelectric alarm.

A ring 9 is held in the `chamber 8 havin an integral diametrical bar.9 provided wit Specloation of Letterslatent. 4Patented Sept. 20, 1910. pplltiil med April 17, 1907. serial. N0. 368,648.

an inletl water passage 10 communicating with the supply ipe 7 and having an inlet openinorll, mtot 1e chamber 8, and also with an outlet water passage l2 communicating with a waste pipo 13 and having an outlet opening 14 from the chamber 8. The inlet and outlet cpenin 11 and 14 are preferably placed one over t 1e other, and they are provided with valve seats 15 and 16, to receive valves 17 and 18. The valve 17 is carried by a diaphragm 19 which is held at its edges by the walls of the chamber 8 below the ring 9 and forms a yielding false bottom for the chamber, normally held in a raised position by a spring 20, lwith the valve 17 inxcontact 'which is attached the valve 18 normally heldl out of contact with the valve Seat 16; but arranged to close the outlet 14 whenever the valve 17 is depressed to open the inlet 11.

The diaphragm 19 carries on its lower side a washer 22, which contacts at.23 with the bottom of the chamber when the valve 17 is depressed sufficiently to open the inlet 11- to its full capacity and thereby prevent any injury to t e diaphragm by excessive pressure. During any downward movement of the valve 17 less than the complete depression of the diaphragm, the intlowing liquid is throttled by a boss 24 mounted on 'the valve 17, which restricts the flow of liquid to the annular space around the boss 24 until the further depression of the valve withdraws the boss from the inlet 11. Cpmmunicating with the outlet passage 12 1s a 'stand-pi e 25 closed at the top except for' the smal vent hole 26 near the top of the .chamber 8.

For the purpose of illustrating the practical a 'plication of my invention to the purpose o? sounding an alarm I have shown an electric alarm apparatus, comprising two binding osts, 27 and 28, formin part of an electricarcircuit capable of pr ucing preferably an audible alarm, as by a bell 29. The circuit is completed by a blade 29y pivotally connected to one of the posts and arranged to be swung into contact with the other by a block 30, supported on a flexible 31, which is raised by the presdiaphragm sure of iquid in the chamber 8 through ay pipe 32.

The chamber 8, lnsteadof, or 1n add1t1on to, communicating with an? electrlc alarm,

space-around the boss 24, and at the same' through the pipe 7; the valve 17 likewise re- 'mams closed by the spring 20, with the valve 18 raised `by the elastic arms 21. In this position of the valves, if the outlet 3 is opened by the release of one or more sprinklers in the system, the check valve4is raised, allowing liquid to flow through the pipe 7, and apply the pressure of the system against the valve 17 causing a slight depression of the valve, sulicient to allow a throttled flow of liquid to take place through the annular time closing the outlet 14. The chamber 8 thereupon fills, until a predetermined point has been reached, depending upon the tension of the spring 20 when the pressure of the liquid in t-he chamber 8, exerted upon the upper surface of the diaphragm 19, forces the valve 17 wide open, the arms 21 yielding for the purpose, permitting a Howl of liquid equal to the full capacity of'the inlet 1,1, and suiiicientl to actuate .a liquid motor such as shown in Fig. 4.

In case the check valve is spasmodically opened and closed as in thecase of a water hammer, the pressure applied momentarily to the valve 17 serves to slightly open the valve 17 and close the valve 18, allowing a' limited amount of liquid to enter the chamber 8, when the removal of pressurefrom thek valve 17, by the closing of the'check valve 4 causes the spring 20 to immediately close valve 17 and open valve 18 which empties the ,chamber down to the -valve seat 16, the liquid lbelow the valve seat 16 remaining permanently in the chamber 8. `Under what- `ever conditions the check `valve 4 is raised,

whether by a water hammer, or by the release 'of an automatic sprinkler, the pressure of the liquid in the system is a plied to the valve17, `rhich immediately c oses the outlet valve 18, checking the ow of liquid vfrom the chamber and permitting a throttled flow of liquid into the chamber, which continues as long as the check valve 4 remains open; but the instant the check Valve closes the valve 17 is relieved from the pressure of liquid in the system, and is closed by the spring 20. rllhe closing of the valve 17 opens valve 18 and allows the liquid to flow out of the chamber. In the event of a'water hammer only a comparatively small uantity of liquid flows' into the chamber 8,' ut in case an automatic sprinkler is released, the flow vention, I therefore secure two characteristic-results, among other advantages,namely, I limit the flow of liquid into the chamber 8 in the case of a water hammer and prevent an undue waste of liquid, and I secure a full and free flow of liquid whenever thechamber fills to a certain point, and thereby secure an effective force to actuate a rotatingv alarm device. ,My apparatus is moreover absolute and positive in its action. The opening of the inlet valve to admit liquid to the chamber 8 closes the outlet valve 'and vice versa, while the continued depression of the inlet valve by means oflthe additional hydrostatic pressure in the chamber 8 eX- erts an additional pressure upon the outlet valve 18 equal to the elastic resistance of the arms 21. l

I claim, x y

1. The combination of a receiving chamber having inlet and discharge openings, a supply passage communicating with-said inlet opening, a valve at said inlet opening a r ranged to be opened by pressure of liquid 1ni said supply passage, a valve at said dis'- charge opening arranged to vbe closed upon the opening of said inlet valve, and means operated by a predetermined amount of liquid in said receiving chamber for increasing the size of said inlet opening.

2. The combination of a receiving chamber having inlet and discharge openings, valves for said openings, with the valve for s aid discharge opening arranged to be closed when the valve for said inlet opening opened, a liquid supply passage communicating with said inlet opening arranged to open said inlet valve-by pressure of liquid 1n i said passage, and means operated by liquid in said chamber for still further opening said inlet valve.

3. rI`he combination of a receiving chamber having inlet and discharge openings, valves for said openings, with the valve at said discharge opening arranged to be closed as soon as the valve at said inlet opening is opened,- a liquid supply `passage ,communieating with said inlet opening, a valve at the other end of said supply passage, upon the opening of which the pressure in said supply .passage is increased, thereby opening` said inlet valve and closing said exit valve,` and means for still further opening said inlet valve by the entrance of a predetermined amount of liquid into said chamber.

4. The combination with a receiving chamber, a liquid supply-system under pressure, a passage connecting said supply-system and said chamber, `means for lnormally closing the receiving end of said passage, a valve' closing the delivery end of saidlpassage, a boss carried by said valve and entering the delivery end of said passage, and'a spring for. holding said valve normally in a closed position.

5. The combination of a receiving chainber having inlet 4and discharge openings, valves for said openings, an elastic connection between said valves arranged to close the discharge valve by opening the inlet i. valve,`a liquid supply passage communicat- 1ng with said inlet 'opening arranged toopen said inlet valve by the pressure of liquid in said passage,` and means for still further opening said inlet valve by the increased amount of water `in said chamber, thereby also exertingincreased pressure to hold said exit valve closed.

6. The combination with a liquid supply system under pressure, of a receiving chamber, a passage connecting said supply system and said chamber, an inlet valve between said chamber and said /passage, normally closed, but arranged to be opened by increase of pressure in said passage, a discharge opening for said chamber with a valve for said opening, normally open, but

arranged to be closed whenever said inlet valve is opened, and a valve between said supply system and said passage arranged by vits opening to increase the pressure in said passage.

7. The combination with a receiving chamber and a liquid supply-system under pressure, o a passage connecting said supply- .system and said chamber, an inlet valve closlng sald passage, a spring holding said inlet valve in a closed position, sage 'from said chamber,

nection between the outlet and inlet valves, whereby .sald outlet valve is closed synchronously wlth the opening of said inlet valve.

an exhaust pasan outlet valve for A closlng sald exhaust passage, a yielding con- 8. The combination witha receiving cham ber and a liquid supply-system under pres:

sure, of a supply passage connecting said chamber and said supply-system, lan exhaust passage for said chamber, an inlet valve for said supply passage, an outlet valve for said exhaust passage, and a yielding connection between said valves.

9. The combination of a receiving chalnber having an inlet opening, a supply" passage communicating with said opening, a valve at said opening arranged to be par-V tially opened by lthe pressure of liquid in ysaid supply passage, a spring acting upon sald valve to resist its complete opening by said pressure, and means acted upon by a predetermined amount of water in said chamber for completing the opening of said valve against the pressure of said spring.

10. The combination with a receiving chamber, of a diaphragmy forming a false bottom for saidchamber, an inlet passage, a valve carried by said diaphragm and closing the delivery end of said inlet passage, a spring with its tension applied to `hold said valve in a closed position, means for normally closing the receiving end of .said inlet passage, an outlet passage, and means for4 synchronously closing said outlet passage when said inlet passage is opened.

. 11. The combination of a receiving chamber, inlet and outlet passages, a diaphragm in said chamber below said inlet and outlet passages, a spring actuated valve attached' to said diaphragm for closing said'inlet pas, 

